


in sickness (and health)

by slvtherxn



Series: snippets of life [2]
Category: SKAM (Norway)
Genre: M/M, Post Season 4, isak is in med school, its just fluffy, there’s no plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-07
Updated: 2019-06-07
Packaged: 2020-04-12 09:29:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19129264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slvtherxn/pseuds/slvtherxn
Summary: Isak is a paranoid med student who constantly diagnoses his boyfriend with rare diseases. Even has a cold.





	in sickness (and health)

**Author's Note:**

> this is very short and pointless, but i’m sure it’s a regular occurrence in the valtersen-bech næsheim household

“How are you feeling?” 

 

Isak, laying on his stomach in the bed, lifts his head up look at Even for the tenth time this hour. The question makes Even laugh, which makes Isak’s eyebrows scrunch together— because apparently Even doesn’t understand the severity of the situation. 

 

“Still fine,” Even replies, his back against the headboard and his voice thick and congested, “Healthy as a horse.” 

 

“Horses are actually very delicate animals,” Isak comments, tapping his pen on the open textbook in front of him. “Maybe you have  _ Respiratory Syncytial Virus.  _ Can you breathe fine?” 

 

“I thought we decided it was  _ viral pha— phenyl—  _ something?” Even teases unhelpfully, raising his eyebrows. 

 

“Don’t make fun of me,” Isak scolds seriously, elbowing Even in the body part closest to his arms, which happens to be Even’s thigh. “It’s  _ Viral Pharyngitis _ , and I thought it was that earlier, but now I think it’s something else.” 

 

Even laughs again, breaking off into a cough that makes Isak wince. 

 

“It’s serious, you know,” Isak says, “It can cause pneumonia.” He highlights the term, tilting his chin back up to look at Even, who looks far too happy for someone who’s just coughed up a lung. 

 

“I think it’s just a cold, Doctor Valtersen.” Even grins. It almost makes Isak feel better that he’s smiling, but instead all he can think about is how Even isn’t taking this seriously at all. Now he has to take it seriously for the both of them. 

 

Isak rolls his eyes, but he’s sure to take note of Even’s glassy eyes and pale skin in the margins. “I’m not a doctor yet,” he mumbles, flipping a few pages in his textbook. 

 

“Oh, you aren’t?” Even asks, irritatingly smug. “I guess I don’t have to listen to you, then.” 

 

Isak glares at him halfheartedly. “Maybe I’m not a doctor, but I still know better than you. So you have to listen.” He highlights another term, frowning. “Maybe you have  _ Legionnaires’ disease. _ ” 

 

“What’s that?” Even raises his eyebrows. 

 

“One out of ten people die from it,” Isak accidentally blurts out instead of answering, stress leaking into his voice. He looks up and smacks Even’s arm gently. “I told you you shouldn’t smoke so much.” 

 

Even grabs Isak’s hand, lacing their fingers. “Don’t be ridiculous, I’m not going to die.” 

 

“It’s not ridiculous,” Isak insists, “It’s a real disease.” And if it’s in his textbook, that means other people have had it, and so Even could totally have it. He scans the causes, trying to search his brain for any correlations. Have they used a hot tub lately? No. Been in a hospital? No. Or maybe Even has? No, probably not. Maybe something’s wrong with their shower, and the bacteria got in it. 

 

“It says here that you’re unlikely to get infected unless you’re over fifty, or have a chronic lung disease.” Even interrupts his thoughts, nodding to Isak’s textbook, which he can apparently read upside down, as it’s facing Isak instead of him. 

 

“Shut up. I’m the doctor here, not you,” Isak reminds, but he does flip the page in search of a new disease. Maybe that one’s not it. 

 

Even fakes a gasp, and Isak doesn’t even have to look at him to predict the expression on his face. “Do you treat all your patients this way?” 

 

Despite himself, Isak smiles just slightly. “No,” he says, looking pointedly up at Even. “Just the annoying ones.” 

 

Even laughs, his head tilting back and his eyes closed. It makes Isak smile, self-satisfied to have made him so happy and his worry eases for the moment. However, Even soon starts coughing again and Isak’s smile turns into a determined frown. He’s going to figure out what’s wrong with Even if he has to go through the whole textbook.  _ Someone  _ has to. It might as well be him. 

 

“Maybe you have  _ Acute Flaccid Myelitis, _ ” Isak decides. “Do your arms feel weak?” 

 

“Acute what?” Even asks, and Isak doesn’t even have to look at him to hear the smile in his voice. “Acute flaccid? No, I’m good.” 

 

He sighs heavily, as if it pains him to continuously question Even, even though this is all his idea. “Not everything is about dicks, Even. It’s a serious condition of the spinal cord.” 

 

“Nothing’s wrong with my spine. It’s just a cough.” Even squeezes Isak’s hand, suddenly a tad more serious. 

 

“It says here most patients begin with a mild respiratory illness,” Isak frowns. Cough? Check. Congestion? Check. Headache, fever… “Do you have a headache?” 

 

“A little,” Even shrugs. “But that comes along with having a cold.” 

 

Isak sits up. “Maybe,” he decides. “Your arms feel okay?” 

 

Even smiles, wincing as Isak’s hands come flying clumsily at his face, eventually landing on his forehead to check his temperature. “My arms are fine,” he promises, “All my other limbs are fine too. And my spinal cord is also fine.” 

 

“I’m just double checking,” Isak insists, pulling his hands back. 

 

“You’re so sweet,” Even coos, too sweet to where it makes Isak flush bright red. “You’re trying so hard to take care of me.”

 

“Shut up,” Isak mumbles, embarrassed. “You have a fever. You don’t know what’s going on.” 

 

Even giggles, one of his arms reaching for Isak to pull him in close. “I know what’s going on,” he replies, “You’re being so sweet.” 

 

“Even.” Isak rolls his eyes, but he lets himself be pulled in, until his head is resting on Even’s shoulder and Even’s arm is around his waist. The textbook is still facing the end of the bed, and he can’t read upside down, but he’s lost the need to flip through it. “Be nice, or I’m not going to take care of you with my doctor skills.” 

 

Even turns his head and kisses Isak’s temple. “Okay,” he replies, “But you shouldn’t stress so much.” 

 

Isak turns his face, pressing it into Even’s shoulder. How can he not stress, when a cold and COPD both start with coughing, and one is way more serious than the other? Instead he just shrugs vaguely, hoping Even knows what he means. 

 

Instead Even just rubs his hand down Isak’s arm. “You can take me to the doctor tomorrow,” he promises, kissing Isak’s head. “I promise.” 

 

Isak nods, satisfied. “Okay. You should be fine until then.” 

 

Even coughs out a laugh, nudging his nose into Isak’s hair. “I’m sure you’ll make sure of it.” 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
